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Saturday, October 29, 2011

Supernaturally is the second book in the New York Times bestselling series that started with Paranormalcy.

So umm ...I'm sorry for doing second-books two weeks in row but these books are so fun! :)Normally I'd consider paranormal books rather dark, but this series is so happy/bouncy that I really wanted to put it on the radar for those of you who haven't read it!

Cover Blurb of Paranormalcy:

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.
But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

Here's the link to the first eight chapters of Supernaturally. Tell me what you think!~*Supernaturally*~

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

The Magi is the debut book of author Kevin Turner.Cover blurb: Thirteen-year-old Elijah Hawk has been on the move ever since the night his family was murdered. His unique sense of instinct saves his life on that horrible night, but he has the feeling that since then, he is being followed. Suddenly, during a rather awful stay at a northern boarding school, Elijah stumbles upon a secret world. The world of the Magi. He learns that the Magi are a simple people with a very complex power. They agree to look after Elijah and let him train with their power as long as he promises to use it only to protect others. But when a powerful group of men storm the Magi city and demand that Elijah be handed over, who will protect him?

What an exciting book! This read gave me the same thrill and satisfaction as the first Harry Potter.
Elijah (main character) really came to life for me. Often in fantasy books, the hero is made of iron, and only slightly affected by sadness. But when Elijah experiences his own tragedy, his grief was very realistic. I would liked to have seen Elijah's friends, Samuel and Hannah, developed a bit more, but I really enjoyed reading Paul, who was a perfectly loyal rascal. Elijah's mentor, Olivia, came across as very majestic, and I loved the Roddick's two girls. They were quirky and so cute!Characters: 4 Stars
From the very first page, this book catapulted me into action after action, and added a fun, new spin on an old piece of culture. The secrets promised delivered to the full extent, and throughout the whole book, I got the feeling that Turner wasn't going to take the easy way out! I'll eagerly be awaiting the sequel!Plot: 4 StarsI could tell this was a first book, and sometimes it was a little hard to follow, but overall, I was very impressed! The world was very cohesive, and loose ends that may have been forgotten in other books, were neatly tied up! :)Style: 3.9 Stars

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Yay! It's Halloween! To celebrate, I'm participating in a giveaway hop! The Spooktacular Giveaway Hop is hosted by Inspired Kathy at I Am a Reader Not a Writer and Rhianna at The Diary of a Bookworm. For this hop hundreds of blogs have linked up to bring you fantastic giveaways to celebrate this spooky season. :)

*Giveaway*

I'll be giving away up to $15 worth of books from the Book Depository. Since they currently do not offer gift cards, I'll be ordering the winner's book-of-choice personally.

I'm going to keep this one really easy to enter.

Rules of Entrace: I ask that you please be a follower for this giveaway.

For an extra entry, tweet a link to this contest!

That's it! The winner will be chosen at midnight on October 31. If the winner doesn't respond within 48 hours, a different winner will be chosen.

Thanks for stopping by, and have fun with the other Spooktacular giveaways! :)
Be sure to check out my giveaway for a signed copy of James Dashner's The Death Cure here. :)

The Son of Neptune is the second book in a New York Times bestselling series that takes places after the Percy Jackson series ends. Written by Rick Riordan, it features old characters in addition to a whole new cast!
I've read The Lost Hero, the first book, and absolutely loved it! I might even say I enjoyed it more than the Percy Jackson series!

To give you some background-Cover Blurb for The Lost Hero: Jason has a problem. He doesn’t remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently she’s his girlfriend Piper, his best friend is a kid named Leo, and they’re all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for “bad kids.” What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. Her father has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he’s in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn’t recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on?

Leo has a way with tools. His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What’s troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper’s gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Cover Blurb: The Federation Anthropological Service would never officially have allowed Elana to be on this mission to the medieval planet Andrecia. If Youngling peoples found out that a supremely advanced and enlightened society like the Federation existed, it would irreparably damage their evolution. Stowing away aboard her father's ship, Elana suddenly becomes the key to a dangerous plan to turn back the invasion of Andrecia by an aggressive, space-faring Youngling civilization. How can she possibly help the Andrecians, who still believe in magic and superstition, against a force armed with advanced technology -- without revealing her alien powers? Apprentice medical officer Jarel wishes that the planet the Imperial Exploration Corps has chosen to colonize didn't have a "humanoid" population already living on it. The invaders don't consider the Andrecians to be human, and Jarel has seen the atrocious treatment the natives get from his people. How can he make a difference, when he alone regrets the destruction that his people bring? Georyn, youngest son of a poor Andrecian woodcutter, knows only that there is a terrible dragon on the other side of the enchanted forest, and he is prepared to do whatever it takes to defeat it. In his mind, Elana is the Enchantress from the Stars who has come to test him, to prove he is worthy of defeating the dragon and its powerful minions. Despite both Elana's and Jarel's inner turmoil, Georyn's burden is by far the heaviest. Ultimately, he must pit his innocent faith in the magic of his Enchantress from the Stars against foes who have come from a world beyond his comprehension.

I thought the cover was beautiful, though unassuming, but after reading the blurb above, you see why I had to follow my hunch and pick up this book. Turned out, my hunch was completely right! This isn't really the type of book you rave about (however I may rave--as that is what I do with books )it's more the variety that leaves you thinking and makes a lasting impression. The characters were well thought through. And though I felt Elana (main character) acted a little young for her age, by the end I could see clearly how she'd matured to view life in a better way. Georyn came through as the slightly wide-eyed innocent he was meant to be. And the interactions between them felt utterly natural.Characters: 5 Stars And what a wonder-full/mysterious plot! An interesting mix between Sci-Fi and Fantasy that Sylvia Engdahl pulled off marvelously! It was a cohesive story that represented a section in Elana's life. And I recognized that this was only a very small portion of something much bigger. The fate of a world did rest on her shoulders, but it was refreshing to read a story about growing better and fighting for what is right, even in the little things.Plot: 5 Stars Switching between first-person POW with Elana and a classic rendition of Georyn's side of things, it was quite enjoyable to discover how they each viewed different phenomena--such as the giant machine that Georyn sees as a horrendous, fire-breathing dragon. Pushing Elana through difficulties she'd never before considered, and showing how those choices apply to life in general, was extremely thought-provoking and gave more hope for the future.Style: 5 Stars

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday is an exciting, weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights books you're dying to read.

I detest waiting. Probably the number one reason I enjoy Waiting on Wednesday so much is the opportunity to vent some of my waiting-frustration on others. :) This week's book that has me out of my mind!!!!!!!! with excitement is Christopher Paolini's Inheritance. Thankfully I only have to wait one more nail-biting month to read the conclusion to this cycle that started with Eragon.

Not so very long ago, Eragon—Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider—was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders.
Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances.
The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost?
This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle.

See what I mean? I fell in love with this series from the beginning, and can't wait!

Check out to join the linky or see other fabulous blogs participating! :)

*Be sure to go to my Giveaways page to enter for a signed copy of The Death Cure- a book a waited an entire two years for! Every since the first book, The Maze Runner by James Dashner, came out :)

Monday, October 17, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature/meme held by the fabulous people over at Broke and Bookish every Tuesday. Each week they put up a new Top Ten list, and anyone can join in!
I have yet another confession to make. I know, I know, stop it with the confessions already. Right? But for the sake of the post, you have to know this one. I usually buy . . . maybe a total of three books a year, and very rarely are those books I haven't already read from the library. I'm a very picky reader. So I'm going to slightly change this list to mean Books Whose Titles or Covers Made Me Read.

Books Whose Titles or Covers Made Me Buy﻿

﻿1. Farworld by J. Scott Savage

Done by Brandon Dorman, this is an absolutely stunning cover of green-skinned, blue-haired water elementals, set against a roaring, white-fringed wave. I snatched it up immediately!

2. The 13th Reality by James Dashner

Also done by Brandon Dorman, this cover was easy on the eye, but still portrayed action-packed content. I've always been interested in the theory of realities so the title really got me.

I'd heard of the Brother's Grimm, who hadn't? So the difference in this title perked my interest. I looked it up as soon as I could get to a library.

6. The Maze Runner by James Dashner*

The view took my breathe away!

7. Evil Genius by Catherine Jinks

The simplicity of this cover yanked my interest. I opened the book and started reading right then.

8. The King in the Window by Adam Gopnik

Gold gilding, and small stars dust this cover, giving it a dream-like quality.

9. Dreamquake by Elizabeth Knox

What a fascinating title! Instantly teases my curiosity. What in the world could a dreamquake be?

10. Betrayel by Aaron Allston

I do love a good Star Wars now and again, and so would have read the book in any case. But the contrast of the cover- a bright green light-saber, with a glow cast against a haunted face, had me running to read it!

Be sure to stop by Broke and Bookish for a list of other fantastic blogs participating in Top Ten Tuesday!

*Check out my Giveaways page to enter for a signed copy of James Dashner's The Death Cure, the third book in The Maze Runner trilogy! :)

The Death Cure is the third and final book of The Maze Runner trilogy by the New York Times bestselling author James Dashner.Cover Blurb:Thomas knows that WICKED can't be trusted. They stole his memories and locked him inside the Maze. Thete forced him to the brink of death by dropping him in the wilds of the Scorch, and they took the Gladers, his only friends, from him. Now WICKED says that the time for lies is over. That they've collected all the data they can from the Trials and will rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission: to complete the blueprint for the cure for the Flare. But Thomas must undergo one final test. What WICKED doesn't know, however, is that Thomas has already remembered far more than they think. And it's enough to prove that he can't believe a word of what WICKED says. The time for lies is over. And the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever have imagined.

Will Anyone Survive The Death Cure?﻿

﻿

The previous books in this series left me flabbergasted, and this one was no different. What a powerful ending! Like most dystopians, it doesn't end with everyone leaping for joy, but you feel safe leaving Thomas and his friends where they are. James Dashner is a mad genius!

I'm always a bit nervous reading the last book in a series, worried that the author will do something completely wrong and ruin the characters. But there was no hint of that in this book. The characters were true to how they were portrayed in The Maze Runner. And though the events in The Death Cure take place only a couple of weeks later, I could see how they had grown and developed through their experiences. It did bother me how Teresa was much less involved in this book than in any of the others, but Brenda came in, filling her place.

Characters: 4.9 Stars

The plot in this book took a completely unexpected turn! The future I foresaw was one of dreary scientific work for the Flare cure, but Dashner was able to keep the extreme action and suspense going until the very end, where you see Thomas and his friends safely settled, and finally--peace.

Plot: 5 Stars

Those of you who have read the preceding books will understand when I guarantee-at the risk of sounding cliche-that these books will literally keep you up all night reading, and then all night thinking. James Dashner's books portray the thrill of mystery, the suspense of horror, and the touch of romance that made this book one of my absolute favorites.

Style: 5 Stars

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: Bookstore

Genre: Dystopian/Suspense

YA Fiction

Subnote: Sorry for the sparse review! Way too many spoilers to avoid! :)

Make sure you check out the Giveaways page for a giveaway of The Death Cure :)

Saturday, October 15, 2011

This week's featured snatch is Goliath by Scott Westerfeld. It's the third and final book in the series that started with Leviathan and included Behemoth. I've been dying to get my hands on this book, but haven't been able to yet! Unfortunately I've used up my funds for books and I'm fifty-second on hold for it at the library. So I was very excited when I learned that Simon & Schuster was offering the first nine chapters online! Along with the beautiful illustrations :)
If you scroll down on this page, you will see the first chapter. However, if you click on the cover of the book, you'll be taken to an eCopy with the full excerpt.

Friday, October 14, 2011

First off, the party was fabulous. I got there and bought my books, then headed down the street to a gorgeous gallery where the event was being held. James Dashner held a wonderful Q&A session. And I shot some video for you guys! . . .But . . .Um . . . It didn't turn out. Sorry. Most of the questions though, I believe, can be found in a few of his interviews.
After his presentation, the group (about 2-300 all together) treked back to the shop and got in line. It was a pretty big line.
As I was towards the end of the line, I waited for about an hour and a half . . .

(Sorry for the blurry quality)

But James Dashner was wonderful, taking time to make the experience memorable for each fan while still moving quickly. He is one of the nicest guys on the planet.

Needless to say, I finished The Death Cure that night, and I promise you, the ending is very strong. Oh boy is it strong! Any who have read it, please tell me what you think!

I'll probably post a review in one of the coming days.

Be sure to check out my giveaway of a signed copy of The Death Cure down below! :)

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Guys, GUYS! The Death Cure by James Dashner came out today! Aaaaaackkkkk!!!! I've been dying for this book ever since The Scorch Trials, that's almost a year!!!!! I've been bouncing around and squealing at random intervals all day. However, I am refraining from getting my copy right now so I can get a copy at the release party tonight. Yes, I'm going to the release party, and those of you in the Utah area can go to!

To those of you who live too far away (cause really, what other excuse could you have?) I weep a thousand months in commiseration.

But I'm still so happy to be going that I will pick up an extra copy to send to one of my followers, and hopefully it will be signed :) So-

*Giveaway*

-US only-(sorry guys)

You must be a follower to enter this giveaway.

Just leave a comment below with your email address, telling me why you would love to win a signed copy of James Dashner's The Death Cure. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your email, go ahead and send it to pomegranatesunrise (at) gmail (dot) com. Feel free to contact me if you have any more questions :)

The Giveaway will run until October 31st at midnight. Tell your fellow Dashner fans!

Post with pictures from the party coming on Thursday.

HELP GUYS! How am I going to wait a whole 3 1/2 hours?! *hyperventilates*

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Leviathan is a steampunk alternate history set around the time of the World War I outbreak.Cover Blurb:It is the cusp of World War I, and all the European powers are arming up. The Austro-Hungarians and the Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. Aleksandar Ferdinand, prince of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battle-torn Stormwalker and a loyal crew of men. Deryn Sharp is a commoner, a girl disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is is constant danger of being discovered. With the Great War brewing, Alek's and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way . . . taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure. One that will change both their lives forever.

What a satisfying book! This is the first steampunk book I've read, and I can safely say it definitely won't be the last!The characters had me hooked from the beginning! Alek was charming and brave. Though I could sense the uppitiness he held from his upbringing, he was in no way snooty and was really someone I could respect (an absolute must for me). Deryn was sharp and engaging-- a daredevil female that really spiced her side of the story up. The background characters were unique, and held depth in their own right. Very well done on characters!Characters: 5 Stars The plot held just the right balance between action-packed and reflective. I felt their was time to get to know the characters and situations without falling into boredom. It was easy to follow and completely believable! (An amazing feat when considering the fabricated animals used by the Darwinists) In addition, the ending held enough answers to tie up the book, but left enough questions to have me running for the sequel.Plot: 4.5 Stars I love the way Scott Westerfeld added style to this book! Leviathan switches between Alek and Deryn's stories, yet I could sense freshness on Deryn's side and determination on Alek's. It added a great deal of variety, and gave the book enough momentum to carry through to the end.Style: 5 Stars

Saturday, October 8, 2011

Guess what . . . It's Saturday!!! I LOVE Saturdays!!!! In view of that, I've decided to start a new feature on this blog called Saturday Snatch. Ever Saturday I will link to a book excerpt being offered online, either by the author or the publisher.

To start us off in style, our first snatch will be (drum roll .....) Infinity Blade: Awakening by Brandon Sanderson! Yes, the Brandon Sanderson!

As many of you know, he's written some of my favorite books, so when I saw he had a new one out I was sooooooooooo excited!

Infinity Blade: Awakening is an ebook set to bridge the gap between the first and second Infinity Blade iPhone/iPad games. You can see the author's blog post about it HERE.

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Tris and Izzie is modern retelling of the legend of Tristan and Iseult ending in a happily-ever-after. In the legend, two characters, Tristan and Iseult, take a magic love potion that leaves them deeply in love with each other till death, even though Iseult is already married to someone else. The different versions are unclear whether the potion was taken intentionally, or accidental, but they usually end in tragedy, with one or another of the lovers dying in unfortunate circumstances, and the other dying of heartbreak. For the Wikipedia article on the legend click HERE.Cover Blurb:"I'd always thought of Mark as blond, but not compared to this guy, whose hair was white-blond. He had these amazingly blue eyes that looked like they had to be enhanced by contact lenses, because that color couldn't be real. He wasn't as tall as Mark, but he seemed taller, the way he drew attention to himself. And he had this huge, dazzling smile that was like a nuclear reactor compared to Mark's warm grin. "I hated that smile, and I hated that it made me compare him to Mark. Who did he think he was smiling at me like that? And why did he seem so at ease? Apparently, this was his first day at Tintagel, but he acted like he was king of the whole school. I have never liked arrogant guys. I felt hot with anger.""Izzie, this is Tristan," said Mark. Izzie loves Mark. He's the perfect boyfriend: kind and loving and handsome, and he's the captain of the basketball team. Meanwhile, Izzie's friend Branna loves somebody, but she won't say who. So when a hot new guy, Tristan, shows up at school, who better for Izzie to fix up her friend with? And what better way to do it that with a love philtre? But love philtres are tricky, and Izzie finds she's accidentally fallen in love with Tristan herself. And that's a problem. First of all there's Mark, and second, there are the supernatural creatures that keep attacking whenever Tristan is around. It's bad enough she has two guys, and Branna has none, now Izzie has to fight for her life?

When I saw the breathtakingly beautiful cover, and read the intriguing blurb, I made the biggest mistake of all mistakes.I judged a book by its cover. There. I admit it. But looking at the picture above you must agree that I was well justified. However, this book ended up being a big disappointment to me. The characters didn't really click. It probably wasn't the author's intent, but Izzie seemed to be selfish and small-minded. She was frequently rude to Mark, her boyfriend, and though she sometimes seemed to regret it in her mind, she never expressed this regret to Mark as an apology. She seemed to regret her rudeness more because it meant she must not love Mark anymore, instead of regretting it because it hurt Mark. The supporting characters' traits were fuzzy, and their reactions didn't feel real. Huge events were dismissed out of hand as the characters focused on petty subjects. I did like the loyalty Tristan, Izzie's love interest, showed his parents, but, overall, the characters were flat and unbelievable.Characters: 1 StarThe first chapters had a very repeatative feel to them. Most of the plot was focused on Izzie trying to hang onto Mark while her feelings were for Tristan, with only a relatively small part centered on defeating the villain. I enjoy romance, but I look forward to action as well, and this book didn't really provide that. The battles were stereotypical and dry. And the big surprises were obvious chapters in advance. However, an amazing idea to remake Tristan and Iseult. It was also interesting to see Izzie doomed to be in love with Tristan forever when she was only sixteen.Plot: 1 Star I'm probably reading too much into this, but, as told in the first-person, the voice came across as just a bit arrogant. There was the slightest hint of superiority in the way Izzie viewed the world through her thoughts. Some of the analogies were very creative, and a few of the lines were honestly funny. But the descriptions sounded forced and it was hard to see the scenes being described as anything but drab.Style: 1 Star

Rating: 1 StarSource: GiveawayGenre: Romance/FantasyYA Fiction (It might make a good Junior Fiction book, but there are a few passionate kissing scenes)

Subnote: Please Please Please, don't just take my word for it! And please don't dismiss this author out of hand! I've read the rest of her work and really enjoyed it, especially The Princess and the Hound. I highly suggest you guys give it a look.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday is a fabulous weekly event hosted over at Broke and Bookish. Every week they have a new list of Top Tens to answer.
This week's topic is Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open. So Voilá!

Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open

1. The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson

Wow. Just wow. Completely mindblowing! I thought, 'No way will his ending be able to top the books.' I have never been so completely wrong in my life!

2. The Maze Runner by James Dashner Total cliffhanger at the end! I was dying until the next book came out.

3. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

This is the final book in one of my favorite junior fiction series. The conclusion didn't skimp, and everything ended exactly as it should.

4. The Queen of Attoliaby Megan Whalen Turner

Ah, a beautiful ending. It had me squeaking with joy and eagerly awaiting The King of Attolia.

5. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

So romantic and so charming! I've read this book over and over again, and the ending still gives me happy goosebumps!

6. The Last Battle by C. S. Lewis

Sometimes I read this book just so I can get to the ending, which sounds weird, I know. But the ending is that amazing. I wouldn't change a thing. The finale of this book leaves me happy for the rest of the day.

7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling

Of course this book is on the list. Those of you who have read it know how it goes above and beyond the other books. This ending leaves you feeling like you've just snuggled with a fuzzy blanket, or hugged a good friend.

8. Tuck Everlasting byNatalie Babbitt

There has to be more to this book! It can't end that way! I mean, sure, It makes you think. But who wants to think, anyway?! Huh?! (leave a comment if you felt that way too)

9. The Messenger by Lois Lowry

A bitter/sweet ending, but fitting, considering the book. Very moving.

10. The Bartimeas Trilogy by Jonathon Stroud

Also bitter/sweet. But perfect. So perfect. Possibly my favorite.

And there you have it!

Be sure to go here and check out the other blogs participating in Top Ten Tuesday!

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About Me

I LOVE to read! Mostly it's Fantasy, Sci-Fi, or Dystopian, but occasionally historical fiction as well.
Disclaimer: sometimes I rave, sometimes I squeak, sometimes I may pummel my audience verbally. Please bring your Dragon for protection. This blog is not responsible for any injuries resulting from lack of Dragon.